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Melvin Named NCHSAA Athlete-of-the-Year
 
Pirate Signee Earns Prestigious Statewide Honor

 
Women's Basketball Signee Courtney Melvin is the 2011 NCHSAA Female Athlete-of-the-Year.
 
Women's Basketball Signee Courtney Melvin is the 2011 NCHSAA Female Athlete-of-the-Year.
 
 

May 5, 2011

Link to NCHSAA Release (May 5, 2011)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Courtney Melvin of East Bladen High School, an East Carolina women's basketball signee, has been named the 2011 Female Athlete-of-the-Year according to an announcement by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Thursday. Romar Morris of Salisbury High School is the male recipient.

The NCHSAA created the award to honor the most outstanding male and female high school athletes in the state. Morris and Melvin were recognized at the Dean E, Smith Center on the University of North Carolina campus during the NCHSAA's Annual Meeting on Thursday.

The winners were selected by a special panel of media representatives from across the state and presented with the Pat Best Memorial Trophy, named for the former Goldsboro High School principal and president of the NCHSAA who died unexpectedly in 1988.

"On behalf of our Board of Directors and the entire membership of the NCHSAA, we congratulate these outstanding student-athletes on their tremendous achievements during their high school careers," Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the NCHSAA, said. "Both have extremely impressive credentials which are in the same vein as previous winners of this award, and we certainly wish them well in their future pursuits."

Melvin (Elizabethtown, N.C.) is the 31st-best post recruit in the nation as ranked by ESPN HoopGurlz. She led East Bladen High School to the North Carolina 1A and 2A state championship games the last three seasons and has been named the MVP for the East Team on each occasion. The Eagles moved up to the 2A ranks prior to the 2009-10 school year.

"Courtney brings an instant post presence to our team," ECU Head Coach Macy stated. "She knows how to win and was a major factor in East Bladen reaching the state championship game the past three seasons."

Current ECU assistant coach Ann Hancock held East Bladen's scoring record with 2,276 points, but Melvin surpassed her during her senior season and will leave East Bladen with a new school standard of 2,502 .The current senior finished her prep career with well over 1,000 rebounds - also an East Bladen record.

 

 

"Courtney is a player who we have built our basketball team around," East Bladen varsity head coach Patty Evers said. "She is a big reason as to why we have been to the state title game the past three seasons. I am proud to see her have the opportunity to play at the college level and am glad that she will be working with Coach Hancock, one of East Bladen's own."

During her junior season (2009-10), Melvin averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds. In the state title game and regional championship, she combined to register 48 points and 27 rebounds. Additionally, in the Waccamaw Conference Tournament championship contest, she put in 33 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Eagles over North Brunswick.

Melvin earned a breadth of postseason accolades due to her solid play, including 2010 Associated Press All-State Team honors, a North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) Region 4 nod, First-Team selection to the Eastern Regional All-Tournament Team, Waccamaw Conference Player-of-the-Year, First-Team All-Waccamaw and Star News and Fayetteville Observer Player-of-the-Year.

Following a sophomore season in which Melvin averaged 19.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, she was named to the 1A All-State Team and was recognized as the Southeastern Conference Player-of-the-Year. In addition, Melvin picked up North Carolina Eastern Regional and Star News All-Region recognition.

Melvin began her prep career by putting in 14.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. As a rookie, she was voted East Bladen Basketball MVP. Melvin also earned the first of her three Eastern Regional All-Tournament Team selections while garnering a spot on the Fayetteville Observer and Star News All-Region Teams.

In addition to her basketball prowess, Melvin is a standout volleyball and track athlete. She collected the East Bladen track MVP award three times and was named to the All-Waccamaw First Team in volleyball her junior and senior campaigns.